Jones-Drew kickoff return jump-starts chilly Jaguars

THE BUZZ

January 6, 2008|By Alan Schmadtke, Sentinel Staff Writer

The last time Jacksonville saw Heinz Field, special teams almost came back to kill them. In Saturday's AFC wild-card game, it prevented an emotional train wreck at the start -- and won the game in the end.

Yes, K Josh Scobee's 25-yard field goal was the game-winner. But three weeks after three special teams miscues, the Jags had none on a chilly night. And one big play gave them a key touchdown.

RB/KR Maurice Jones-Drew dug the Jags out of an early 7-0 hole with a 96-yard kickoff return. He roared up the middle of Pittsburgh's formation, broke two tackles and weaved his way to the Steelers' 1-yard line. Fred Taylor scored on the next play, and Scobee kicked the tying extra point.

Jones-Drew's return was the longest in Jags postseason history, the sixth-longest in NFL postseason history.

Meanwhile, after practicing all week with gloves to use them in the cold, P Adam Podlesh and LS Joe Zelenka spurned them with a kickoff temperature of 38 degrees. In the first half, both punter and snapper were spot-on.

In Jacksonville's 29-22 victory here on Dec. 16, Podlesh bobbled one punt snap and mishandled an extra-point snap. The mishandle cost the Jags an extra point, and Scobee later missed another extra point.

The two points almost came back to haunt them, for Pittsburgh rallied from a 22-7 deficit to tie the score in the fourth quarter.

Jaguars' sack count sets franchise playoff record

DE Bobby McCray's game-clinching sack of Ben Roethlisberger was the Jags' sixth of the night, a franchise playoff record. The previous record was five in a divisional playoff victory against Miami on Jan. 15, 2000.

The Jags dumped Pittsburgh's quarterback five times in the first half.

No player had more than one. Sacks were made by DTs John Henderson, Rob Meier and Derek Landri and DEs McCray, Paul Spicer and Jeremy Mincey.

Mathis' interception return sets postseason mark

After having only one interception in the regular season, former Pro Bowl CB Rashean Mathis stole two passes Saturday night and also set a club record for the longest postseason interception return.

Mathis' 63-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter gave the Jags a 14-7 lead and seized the game's momentum. He intercepted Roethlisberger again on the next series. The Jags turned that turnover into a 43-yard scoring pass from David Garrard to Jones-Drew and a 21-7 lead.

Mathis joins Aaron Beasley as the only Jags players to have two interceptions in a playoff game.

Etc.

Assistant head coach Mike Tice's name is now out there for two head coaching vacancies: Baltimore and Miami. Tice has said he wants to be a head coach again, but he has not confirmed any contact with either franchise. . . . Jacksonville's defense went 16 games without allowing a team to score a touchdown on the first series. Then Pittsburgh took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards for a score. . . . Henderson strained a hamstring while dragging down Roethlisberger on that series. He returned for one series, could barely move, and did not return thereafter. . . . Jacksonville led 21-7 at halftime, and their points were the second-most in franchise postseason history. They scored 42 in a 1999 divisional victory against Miami. . . . The Jags will have a more attractive home schedule in 2008, and it will cost more to be a Jags season ticket-holder. Jacksonville's eight home games in '08: Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Cleveland, Minnesota, Buffalo and AFC South rivals Indianapolis, Tennessee and Houston. Season-ticket packages, which also include two exhibition games, start at $390, an increase from $360. The club expects the new prices to fall below the NFL average again. Only four teams in the league had lower prices in 2007.